Of Water and Moonlight (Thunderbird Academy Book 1)

by Valia Lind

  "You really grabbed a witches movie for us to watch?" Vera comments, looking over my shoulder. Christy shrugs, already pulling out the face masks.

  "I kind of really love their family." She goes back to unpacking all the essentials, some of which I've never even seen before. But then, I have one face wash that I'm loyal too and being a water witch, my complexion is fantastic.

  "I vote for the alien movie," I say, and Vera nods.

  "Me too!" Jade calls out as she heads to the bathroom. With the majority decided, we settle back as Christy explains the cleansing wipes she brought and the exfoliating brushes.

  "This is intense," I mumble, receiving a very serious look from Christy.

  "It's important to take care of your skin. That's how you become your own best friend."

  I don't contradict the girl or comment any further. Clearly this is a big deal to her, and I'm never going to be the person that makes fun of other people's passions. That's one of the top lessons my parents taught me. It's amazing how I don't even think about these areas of life, but my family and my upbringing guides me in more ways than not.

  My mind drifts back to the library and the nagging feeling I've had about it. Something jumped out at me last time I was there. I have to get back to those books tonight. Somehow.

  We get our skin exfoliated and our masks on in the first thirty minutes of the movie. I've seen this one with my sisters, and it's always been a favorite. It doesn't help with the nostalgia I'm feeling, or how much I miss them, but that's okay. I'm learning, very slowly, how to own up to my own emotions. There's nothing wrong with what I'm feeling, I just need to use that to fuel me to move forward. And not get stuck in one spot.

  As I glance around the room, I find that I'm truly enjoying myself, despite the sadness. These girls have become part of my school family, and I truly am lucky. It's so easy to concentrate on all the bad going on around me that I don't stop to appreciate the good. My dad has always taught me to remember the little details of life, and I've been missing out on that. Even though I didn't want the slumber party, I'm glad it happened.

  "So, we should totally do a rating system," Christy announces much later. We've moved on to the witches movie and are working on our toe nails now.

  "Rating for what?"

  "The hotness in this school, of course!" Jade and I exchange a look at that, but Christy is already having too much fun. "I'll start. Obvi the shifters are on top of that list. I mean, Aiden? He's one hot alpha!" She giggles, and I grin. Even when he's not here, he's in everything I do.

  "Vera, you go next!"

  "I vote for Owen." The quiet girl surprises me. "I like the broody type." That actually makes sense.

  "Oh, what about Mona?" Christy says, and I think back to the upperclassman Jade and I saw trying on a suit for the dance.

  "That girl is gorgeous and fierce," Jade comments, and I nod.

  "She's a shifter too," Vera says, and we burst out laughing.

  "Of course they're all shifters," I say, when we've settled a little. "Vera, you're on that list too. There's something about shifters. The pack in my hometown? They're all beautiful creatures."

  Vera blushes, but doesn't comment. I realize I put her on the spot, but I can clearly see she's pleased.

  "I wouldn't mind me a shifter," Christy comments, wiggling her eyebrows up and down, and we're laughing once again.

  When our nails are painted, and the whole place smells like Autumn morning at home, I snuggle down into my side of the blanket fort, eyes glued to the screen. We talked, we laughed, and it finally felt like I was just a girl, hanging out with friends. Now, I just need to wait for them to fall asleep, so I can get down to the library. No matter how relaxed I am, I won't be able to sleep until I figure out what's been bugging me.

  24

  “Should you be sneaking around out here?”

  I'm very proud of myself for not jumping at the quiet voice, but truth be told, I was expecting this. Just a little. Turning slowly, I narrow my eyes as a figure steps from the shadows.

  "Ben, are you a creepy stalker?"

  "Well, not creepy." He flashes me a grin, and I fight the urge to return it. I had a feeling I'd be seeing more of him while Aiden is away, so there's another pat on the back for me.

  "Shouldn't you be on the opposite side of the castle, I don't know, sleeping?"

  "I could be asking you the same thing." Ben takes a step closer. "Aren't you in the midst of an all-girl slumber party?"

  "How do you—" I stop as he grins at me again. This shifter has no problem wearing his smile for all to see, and I have to fight the urge to return it. But if I don't get a move on, I'll either get caught or... actually, just get caught.

  That's bad enough.

  "Well, I'll be going now," I say, waving a hand in his general direction. But after I've taken barely three steps, Ben is beside me. "Can I help you with something?"

  "Sure. You can pretend you won't argue with me when I tell you I'm to escort you to wherever you're going."

  "I can pretend, but not for long." I snort, very un-lady like. Ben chuckles at the sound and despite how weird this situation is to me, I can feel a comradeship forming between us.

  "Why are you here, Ben?" I decide to not beat around the bush. Ben gives me a long look, as if contemplating whether or not he'll tell me the truth.

  "Aiden asked me."

  For some reason, I'm not surprised. But Ben's words still bring a pang to my chest, and a sense of awareness I try so hard to suppress.

  It's difficult to ignore my feelings when Aiden keeps doing these little things. In his own way, he keeps taking care of me, and I'm not particularly sure what to do with that.

  "There's absolutely no chance in you letting me be?" I ask, looking Ben in the eye. He shakes his head in response, and I don't waste another minute. We need to move before the patrol comes by. It was hard enough sneaking away from the girls. The charms of protection I made last time are still in my pocket, but I didn't have time to replenish the magic. A part of me was nervous that if I did, the headmaster would notice. I have to use what I can and can't waste any opportunities I get.

  I rush down the hall, Ben close on my heels. He stays true to his word and doesn't question where we're going. But I can tell he wants to. I mean, who wouldn't?

  Suddenly, he grabs my hand, pulling me behind one of the columns. I'm smart enough not to make a sound as we squeeze in between the wall and the marble. A few moments later, one of the patrol guys rounds the corner. My vision isn't as great as a shifter's, but I can see him glance down the hall, before moving on. Ben puts a finger to his lips, and I nod. We have to wait for him to get farther away.

  When Ben deems it safe again, he steps out into the hall, pulling me with him. He does another quick study before motioning me to move.

  "Thanks," I say, and he smiles in return. It really is nifty having a shifter around. We continue creeping down the hall before we arrive at the back staircase. This is riskier, but it'll put us right near the greenhouse.

  "Can you go first?"

  Ben takes the lead without question, and I follow closely behind. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with him when we get to the greenhouse. It's not as if I want more people to know about the library. I'm constantly contemplating what to do with the knowledge and how it's protecting itself. Maybe I should trust that the spell wouldn't allow anyone who's a danger to the place to know about it. It had no problem with Kate or Liam or even Aiden. So, I can't say I tested out that theory fully. I have a feeling the library won't have a problem with Ben either.

  We reach the greenhouse with no problems, and I know it's only because of Ben. The security has been heightened, and I might not have made it this far alone.

  "What now?" Ben asks once we're inside, and I stand looking around at the plants.

  "Now you leave?" I reply, hopefully.

  "No chance of that. I'm not about to go against my alpha's orders."

  Of course not. I mull ove
r my next move, but I really just have the one. Ben is about to find out about my secret.

  "Okay, I assume since your alpha told you to protect me that means in all areas of my life?" Ben gives me a puzzling look as I continue. "What I'm about to show you is a secret. A secret that only four people know about, and it has to stay that way."

  "Maddie, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

  The way he says it, and the way he looks at me, I believe it. Having no other choice left, I head toward the corner of the greenhouse and unmask my little hideaway door. Ben stays quiet throughout the whole process, but I can read the surprise in his eyes. He definitely didn't expect this. Which means Aiden didn't prepare him and has kept my secret. I'm thankful for that because I'm almost positive, even with protective charms, an alpha would have a way around witch's magic if it came down to it.

  When we reach the door to the library, I place my hand against it, and it glows i's welcoming light. Once inside, Ben is just as enamored with the place as I've been, but he still doesn't ask any questions. Deciding I'm stuck with him, I give him a quick summary of the place.

  "This is incredible, Maddie. And no one knows?"

  "I can't even talk about it outside of here. One day I'll figure out what that means, but right now I need to find the book I was looking at last time. Something has been bothering me for days."

  Leaving Ben to explore on his own, I head toward the table Aiden and I sat at last time. My mind brings up an image of us there, but I push it away. I really have no business thinking about a boy right now.

  Picking up book after book I try to pinpoint the feeling I've been carrying around. If it was something I read, I'd have to go through every page. But if it was something else, maybe I can rely on my intuition. Ben has moved closer and is watching me now but doesn't speak. I appreciate that, and I realize I kind of like having him around. He reminds me of Liam a bit. I find his presence sort of comforting.

  "It's not working!" I finally snap, dropping the last book on the table.

  "What is it you're looking for?"

  "I'm not sure and that's the problem. The last time," I take a deep breath, "it was as if something reached out to me through the pages. And now I can't find that feeling."

  "Maybe you're here with the wrong guy."

  My eyes fly up to meet his, and I see him shrug.

  "It's not like that," I hurry on to say.

  "I just mean you and Aiden have a certain... magic about you. You're a Hawthorne. He's the next alpha. Maybe that's the energy that's needed."

  It does make sense, but I also think Ben is talking about something else. I try not to read too much into it, but the magic aspect does give me an idea.

  "Let me try something."

  I spread out the books on the table in front of me, before climbing on a chair. Standing over the array of hardcovers, I close my eyes and hover my arms over the table. There isn't a specific spell I can try, but maybe I can just ask for the answer. I've seen Bri do this once or twice but have never tried it myself.

  The magic inside of me begins to tingle, spreading slowly at first, then building faster and faster. My whole body feels like it's on fire as I push the magic to do my bidding. I ask it nicely, to show me what I'm searching for, keeping my intention as pure as possible.

  "Maddie." After what seems like hours, Ben calls my name softly. I open my eyes and glance down to see one book glowing just slightly.

  A grin blossoms onto my face as I reign my magic in and jump down.

  "Okay, let's see what all the fuss is about."

  It's another hour before I finally find something.

  Ben has been sitting quietly, browsing through one of the books. But the moment my eye lands on the right page, it's like he can sense it. I feel him move closer, yet I don't take my eyes off the page.

  It's a list of families, witch families, going back hundreds and hundreds of years. The page unfolds, a tree growing right there on paper. So many names, so much history.

  "What is it?" I didn't realize he moved to the table and is now sitting beside me.

  "It's a family tree. Of magic. These names go back hundreds of years."

  "On this one spread of paper?"

  "It's magic," I reply, smiling. I see the names change and move as I go further and further back.

  "This is what you were looking for?"

  "Yes. I didn't see the actual tree last time, but this page," I turn two pages back, "it speaks of a dark history of witches, and that's what has been on my mind."

  "What do you mean?"

  "My dad is a Watcher," I begin, turning my attention to the boy in front of me. "He's been a keeper of magical knowledge his whole life, and he's shared a lot of it with me. Not everything, obviously. I didn't know the Ancients were anything but a bedtime story until they started rising right outside of my home town."

  "But isn't that the case with everyone? Even my pack assumed the Ancients weren't real."

  "It's part of their plan. To be so forgotten that we're not ready to defend ourselves. But they've made waves in our lives before."

  "When?"

  "Well, I can tell you that thirty-five years ago, in Hawthorne, they sent a plague that nearly wiped out the town."

  "I didn't know that."

  "I didn't either. But my parents did. They were both there." He's silent for a bit as I continue to study the names.

  "How does that help you now?"

  "It helps because every family keeps a grimoire. It holds their individual spells, history of their time, charms that pertain only to them. If I can find some of the older families maybe they have information on the Ancients. The further back we go, the more chance we have of finding something new we can use. If my parents had dealings with the Ancients thirty-five years ago, can you imagine someone from three hundred years ago?"

  "But wouldn't that information be readily available?"

  "You'd think so, but no. Remember the Salem witch trials? Just one of the many times humans made it difficult for us to be part of the world. Families kept their secret and their grimoires under lock and key. There are so many covens out there that we have no idea about. This may be what helps us uncover those secrets."

  I grab one of the notebooks I left here last semester and a pen and begin jotting down the names as they come up on the page. Ben lets me be, and we stay like that for a while. My mind races with possibilities and everything we can learn from this. I'll have to find a way to get the information to my sisters since they'll have a much better chance at figuring this out.

  When I think I've copied down enough names, I take a piece of paper and bookmark the page. Then I stand.

  "Ready to get back?" Ben asks, also standing. I nod, folding the paper and tucking it into my jeans. With one last look at the library, I lead the way out.

  Once we're back in the greenhouse, a sense of dread reaches out to me. I can't pinpoint the feeling, but it's there, and I turn to Ben automatically.

  "Do you feel—"

  But I never get to finish. The whole school begins to shake, the ground unsteady under my feet.

  "Ben?"

  He grabs my hand, pulling me away from the falling shelves and into the hallway. I'm having a difficult time staying upright as the school trembles a few more times.

  "What's happening?"

  "Come on. We need to get out of here." Ben pulls me behind him as one of the pictures hanging on the wall shatters at our backs. The case displaying various potions topples over, making us jump back. The alarm begins to sound, shrieking commands at us.

  "Can we get outside?" I yell over the noise and Ben shakes his head. The whole school is on its nightly lock down. I focus on the alarm long enough to hear the instructions. We need to be in a room, protected. And we're not.

  "Where is the patrol?" I ask, thinking of the other people who would be out of their protective rooms.

  "There are designated rooms for them," Ben shouts back, because of course there are. They wouldn
't let students patrol if there wasn't a backup plan. The school shudders again, this one stronger than the last, knocking us off our feet. I land hard, on all fours, my palms and knees stinging from the impact.

  "Come on." Ben reaches for me, picking me up and setting me on my feet, before we take off deeper into the school. Having no other choice, I rush after him as the school continues to shake around us. Glass shatters and the next thing I know, Ben is wrapping himself around me, tucking my face into his chest.

  "You okay?" he asks, glancing down, and I manage a nod. This is definitely not how I imagined my night going. Ben grabs my hand once more, and we're moving. Another minute and he stops abruptly in front of a door.

  Yanking it open, he pulls us in, shutting it behind. I stumble over my own feet and whatever is in the room, but even in near darkness, Ben manages to catch me.

  "Can you work some light magic?" he asks and I nod, even though he probably can't see me. Illumination spell is one of the first ones I learned as a kid. Two waves of a hand and a few words, "Light the way, please."

  An orb appears in my hand, and I glance around to find us in a storage closet. I look at the shelves full of items, but nothing is moving.

  "How are we protected?"

  "I'm thinking, even though it's a closet, it's still a room. The protective spell is in place." He shrugs, but he's a smart one, that's for sure.

  We each take a seat on the floor, exhausted from the night. My mind keeps wandering back to what's going on outside this room, but we won't be going out there any time soon.

  "What do you think is happening to the school?" Ben finally asks. I don't answer right away, trying to push away the panic.

  "I think someone is doing their best to destroy it."

  25

  “Thank you for getting me out of there,” I say, breaking the silence. We've been trying to listen to the sounds of the school, but it's as if we've been sealed inside of a cocoon. Every now and then a noise will reach us, but it sounds too far away to distinguish it.